[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 12, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46985-46993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18501]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 305

[RIN 3084-AB03]


Energy Labeling Rule

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') amends its 
Energy Labeling Rule (``Rule'') by publishing new ranges of 
comparability for required labels on central air conditioners, heat 
pumps, and weatherized furnaces.

DATES: The amendments announced in this document will become effective 
on January 1, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hampton Newsome, Attorney, Division of 
Enforcement, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580 (202-326-
2889).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Commission issued the Energy Labeling Rule in 1979, 44 FR 66466 
(Nov. 19, 1979) pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 
1975 (``EPCA'').\1\ The Rule covers several categories of major 
household appliances, including central air conditioners and heat 
pumps. It requires manufacturers of covered appliances to disclose 
specific energy consumption or efficiency information (derived from DOE 
test procedures) at the point-of-sale. In addition, each label must 
include a ``range of comparability'' indicating the highest and lowest 
energy consumption or efficiencies for comparable models. The 
Commission updates these ranges periodically.
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    \1\ 42 U.S.C. 6294. EPCA also requires the Department of Energy 
(``DOE'') to set minimum efficiency standards and develop test 
procedures to measure energy use.
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II. Range Updates for Central Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, and 
Weatherized Furnaces

    The Commission is updating the Rule's ranges of comparability, 
based on current data, for central air conditioners, heat pumps, and 
weatherized furnaces, effective January 1, 2015. In a February 6, 2013 
Federal Register Notice (78 FR 8362), the Commission issued new 
EnergyGuide label requirements to help consumers, distributors, 
contractors, and installers easily determine whether a specific furnace 
or central air conditioner meets applicable DOE regional efficiency 
standards. Among other things, these amendments revised labels for 
central air conditioners, heat pumps, and weatherized furnaces that 
will be required on January 1, 2015. In the 2013 Notice, the Commission 
did not publish updated comparability ranges for those products because 
energy data available at that time would likely become obsolete before 
the January 1, 2015 date. However, the Commission explained it would 
publish new ranges for central air conditioners, heat pumps, and 
weatherized furnaces, when more current data became available before 
2015.\2\ That date serves as the effective date for the new FTC labels 
and the new comparability ranges for these products.
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    \2\ 78 FR at 8365.
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    In addition to publishing the new ranges, the Commission is 
updating the prototype and sample labels in the Rule to reflect these 
range changes. As discussed in a Federal Register Notice published this 
year, the Commission plans to address updates for other heating 
products, including boilers and non-weatherized furnaces, 
separately.\3\
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    \3\ 79 FR 34642, 34652 (June 18, 2014).
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III. Administrative Procedure Act

    The amendments published in this Notice involve routine, technical 
and minor, or conforming changes to the labeling requirements in the 
Rule. These technical amendments merely provide a routine change to the 
range and cost information required on EnergyGuide labels. Accordingly, 
the Commission finds for good cause that public comment for these 
technical, procedural amendments is impractical and unnecessary (5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(A)(B) and (d)).

IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act relating to a 
Regulatory Flexibility Act analysis (5 U.S.C. 603-604) are not 
applicable to this proceeding because the amendments do not impose any 
new obligations on entities regulated by the Energy Labeling Rule. 
These technical amendments merely provide a routine change to the range 
information required on EnergyGuide labels. Thus, the amendments will 
not have a ``significant economic impact on a

[[Page 46986]]

substantial number of small entities.'' \4\ The Commission has 
concluded, therefore, that a regulatory flexibility analysis is not 
necessary, and certifies, under Section 605 of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), that the amendments announced today 
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities.
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    \4\ 5 U.S.C. 605.
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V. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The current Rule contains recordkeeping, disclosure, testing, and 
reporting requirements that constitute information collection 
requirements as defined by 5 CFR 1320.3(c), the definitional provision 
within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations that 
implement the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). OMB has approved the 
Rule's existing information collection requirements through May 31, 
2017 (OMB Control No. 3084 0069). The amendments now being adopted do 
not change the substance or frequency of the recordkeeping, disclosure, 
or reporting requirements and, therefore, do not require further OMB 
clearance.

List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 305

    Advertising, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Labeling, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble of this document, the 
Federal Trade Commission amends 16 CFR part 305 as follows:

PART 305--ENERGY AND WATER USE LABELING FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS UNDER 
THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (``ENERGY LABELING RULE'')

0
1. The authority citation for part 305 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 6294.


0
2. Revise Appendix G1 to Part 305 to read as follows:

Appendix G1 to Part 305--Furnaces--Gas

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Range of annual fuel
                                             utilization efficiencies
              Furnace Type                            (AFUEs)
                                         -------------------------------
                                                Low            High
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Weatherized Gas Furnaces                        78.0            96.6
 Manufactured Before the Compliance Date
 of DOE Regional Standards--All
 Capacities.............................
Non-Weatherized Gas Furnaces                        80.0            98.5
 Manufactured After the Compliance Date
 of DOE Regional Standards--All
 Capacities.............................
Weatherized Gas Furnaces Manufactured--             81.0            95.0
 All Capacities.........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
3. Revise Appendix G3 to Part 305 to read as follows:

Appendix G3 to Part 305--Furnaces--Oil

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Range of annual fuel
                                             utilization efficiencies
                  Type                                (AFUEs)
                                         -------------------------------
                                                Low            High
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non-Weatherized Oil Furnaces                        78.0            86.1
 Manufactured Before the Compliance Date
 of DOE Regional Standards--All
 Capacities.............................
Non-Weatherized Oil Furnaces                        83.0            95.4
 Manufactured After the Compliance Date
 of DOE Regional Standards--All
 Capacities.............................
Weatherized Oil Furnaces--All Capacities            78.0            83.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
4. Revise Appendix H to Part 305 to read as follows:

Appendix H to Part 305--Cooling Performance for Central Air 
Conditioners

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Range of SEER's
 Manufacturer's rated cooling capacity  --------------------------------
               (Btu's/hr)                      Low             High
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Single Package Units
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Air Conditioners (Cooling                    13             20
 Only): All capacities.................
Heat Pumps (Cooling Function): All                   13             18.1
 capacities............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Split System Units
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Air Conditioners (Cooling                    13             26
 Only): All capacities.................
Heat Pumps (Cooling Function): All                   13             30.5
 capacities............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


0
5. Revise Appendix I to Part 305 to read as follows:

Appendix I to Part 305--Heating Performance for Central Air 
Conditioners

[[Page 46987]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                  Range of HSPF's
  Manufacturer's rated heating capacity  -------------------------------
               (Btu's/hr)                       Low            High
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Single Package Units
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heat Pumps (Heating Function): All                   7.7             9.2
 capacities.............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Split System Units
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Heat Pumps (Heating Function): All                   7.7            13.5
 capacities.............................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

0
6. Appendix L is amended as follows:
0
a. Prototype Labels 3 and 4 are revised.
0
b. Sample Label 7 is removed.
0
c. Sample Labels 7A and 7B are redesignated as Sample Labels 7 and 7A 
and revised.
0
d. Sample Label 8 is removed.
0
e. Sample Label 8A is redesignated as Sample Label 8 and revised.
    The revisions read as follows:

Appendix L to Part 305--Sample Labels

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BILLING CODE 6750-01-P

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    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-18501 Filed 8-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-C